Prevalence of the subclinical sinus disease in HIV positive patients evaluated by the computed tomography versus a control population

To determine the prevalence of subclinical sinus disease in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cerebral computed tomography scans (CCT) done at the Tourcoing hospital over an 18-month period in 139 HIV-positive patients and 140 control patients without evidence of active sinus disease were reviewed retrospectively. CCTs were evaluated independently by two physicians who were blinded to clinical data. Mucosal thickening and/or a full patients (20/139, 14.4%) than in the controls (8/140, 5.7%) (p=0.016). Mucosal thickening was the most common abnormality in both groups. CD4+cell counts were not correlated with the radiographic abnormalities studies. These radiographic data suggest that subclinical chronic sinusitis independent from the degree of immune deficiency may be more common in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative subjects. (author)